Lawn Ave.  SIT notes

March 10, 2005

(back to Lawn Sit)

 

Meeting was called to order at 4:00

Feb. 10^th Notes were corrected and accepted.

 

SALT Data

• Discussed the evaluation of the collected information
• Data will be known however comparative Data won’t be known for a while.
• The assessment of the collected data is important and needs to be changed to the new system used by SALT documents.
• Could we get some training on how to show the outcome/assessment
• Does SALT data match the strategic plan established and collected by SIT?
• We need to see the improvement by comparison

-For example, has the school climate improved from what it was? (Data is from 3 years ago!)

• How is school climate perceived:
• By students
• By gender
• Grade level
• Teachers/Parents/Students
• Study charts /analyze charts. 

Do not turn our evaluation into a mathematical problem.  What is the best way to use the collected data?

 

Meeting to discuss SIT strategic plan.

 

Group I:

Discussion did take place on March 7.

Martha, Jen and Sarah met with some teachers

Group II:

Discussed SIT strategic plan, however couldn’t meet as a group as yet.

Group III

                  Sam Pease said their group had met and much of their time was spent

discussing what they are identifying from the collected data and if

we should be concerned with Community Services and/or Citizenship?

 

Various Ideas shared: 

Theme of the week:  Could there be a quote posted or announced supporting the theme of the week?  (Instead of a moment of silence in morning announcements.)

Project Citizen?

Integration

Taking ownership of school and grounds

Would the Role of the teen center play a part of this?

 

The next meeting date for Group III  will be Monday, March 24.

 

SALT Results on School Climate

·      Those who answered the survey questions did not answer them well—partial answers were returned.

·       It was stated that the questions in this section were misunderstood because the questions didn’t direct participant to understand what was being asked of them...

·      “Sometimes” was the most commonly used term to answer questions

·      Biggest split comes between gender evaluations: Assessment scores for girls and boys 

For example, there is a 5 point split showing students evaluated teachers

 giving help to those in need.

o      The girls indicated that teachers give enough help.

o      The boys indicated that teachers give less help.

 

 

New Business:

 

o      Providing information to parents.

 Making a chart to identify the curriculum being taught; almost like a syllabus of what and when the curriculum is being covered.

 

o      Melrose School has created a chart supporting the areas of the curriculum. 

Maybe, Lawn should take on this project and make a chart showing the

 Curriculum, putting it into a similar format.

 

SIT Strategic Goal

 

1.     Group survey that can go home to everyone and then

one survey for those who are going to another school.

2.    Curriculum chart guide to be filled in by grade level teachers.  Maybe put on the web.  Check with the template from Melrose

3.    K. Sipala and K. Almanzor do have interviews with those students who withdraw for one reason or another.

 

Next meeting will have:

 Exit survey so that we can make a better assessment of the whys and ifs. We are in need of improving an area.

After School Activity survey—filled in by students who participated

Survey on and identifying that it is being done. 

 

 

 

 

Is Differentiated Instruction being provided for acceleration and/or remediation? 

·      What are you doing as a teacher in the classroom? 

·      How do we communicate this to parents? 

·      Communicate to Parents that “this”  (acceleration; remediation) is being done.  How are you as a teacher addressing diversity of students?

 

Reorganization of Instruction from Lawn Ave Students/Teacher/Curriculum

·      In years to come, how are we going to handle the changing complexion?

 

 

Important Budget Hearings Organized

The hopes of keeping four classrooms for grade 7 and four classrooms of grade 8, does not look as promising as it had in December.   Due to the decreased Pupil population and the cost per pupil, we may be forced to change the  present situation of four classrooms of students for 7^th and 8^th grade.  As a school, we can plan for four classrooms and hope it will continue this way.  However to be prepared for a possible change we must devise a plan for 3 classrooms for the 7^th and 8^th grade level.    At this date and time, the School Committee has indicated that we can’t have four classrooms with the numbers of students and as well as have a budget works for the Jamestown people.  As wonderful as it would be, budget would not enable it.

 

 

Making Changes Work!

 

1. It would be a greater advantage to plan out 7^th and 8^th grade.
2. A coherent plan needs to be identified, assembled and followed through. 
3. High expectations need to have content area specialization.  But we are going to teach cross grades. 
4. The restructuring of a grade cannot come on too quickly.  There must be a model out there that helps us see more options. More time to work on it so that the community, parents, students and teacher can buy into it and make it work for the betterment of all.

 

a.     The community needs to know what is going on so that we aren’t looking like we are going backwards academically. Explanation of budget and shrinking enrollment must be presented.  We need to people to know that we are not going backwards.  We need to promote our way of accountability; articulation must be given identifying that this is a serious plan and creative communication must take place with those involved.

 

Advisor/Advisee is being looked at…

What do we need to operate, not always what we want.

Plan is morphing.  Once Kathy has met with Special Ed., Kathy will give her plan for 6, 7, 8.

 

 

Meeting ended at 5:45